Hulu has locked in a release date for Mike, the unauthorized limited series coming from the I, Tonya team about heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson. It’ll launch on August 25th, and the streamer has also shared a first look trailer in anticipation.
The clip begins with a brief look at Tyson’s childhood before fast-forwarding to his meteoric rise and everything that came with his newfound fame and subsequent downfall, including his time in prison. We even get a glimpse at his infamous pet tiger.
Moonlight star Trevante Rhodes plays Tyson in the eight-episode series, which was created and written by I, Tonya scribe Steven Rogers, who served as executive producer alongside showrunner Karin Gist (Our Kind of People). The cast is rounded out by Russell Hornsby, Harvey Keitel, Laura Harrier, and Li Eubanks.
In a press release, Mike is described as examining “class [and] race in America, fame and the power of media, misogyny, the wealth divide, the promise of the American Dream and ultimately our own role in shaping Mike’s story.”
While speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Gist said the show is not intended to be “a love letter or an indictment.” She added, “Fortunately, as a global society, we are all talking more and more about things that were once taboo or only whispered about among friends — rape, sexual assault, consent to name a few.”
Gist continued, “Putting stories like this in the spotlight and pulling them out of the shadows is crucial to moving forward and getting the conversation to the next level. The goal was not to shy away from the scary or uncomfortable parts of the story just because they are scary and uncomfortable.”
Watch the teaser trailer for Mike below.